July 2017 | New Orleans, Louisiana-The Historic New Orleans Collection will expand its operations to a third campus in the French Quarter in fall 2018, coinciding with the city's tricentennial.

Located at 520 Royal St., the new campus will include the renovation of a 19th-century structure known as the Seignouret-Brulatour Building, with a state-of-the-art rear addition plus a beautiful interior courtyard. With nearly 40,000 total square feet, the site will house the institution's largest gallery spaces for permanent and changing exhibitions, dynamic interactive displays and a hands-on educational display for children and families. In addition, the new site will include a larger footprint for the museum shop and a café.

"This will be the largest exhibition space we've ever had," said Priscilla Lawrence, executive director of THNOC. "This project will be an incredibly exciting new resource for the city, as it will allow us to increase our programming capabilities, showcase more materials from our holdings, which have been growing for years, and tell more of the stories of this area. We have already received a substantial showing of public support for the project, and there is more to do."

Though the original structure, built in 1816, has served many functions over the last two centuries, it is most widely remembered for four previous owners. François Seignouret built the structure as retail and residential space and adorned the balcony with ironwork bearing an "S." Pierre Brulatour, a wine importer, purchased the building in 1870 for his retail business and residence. When philanthropist William Ratcliff Irby acquired the property in 1918, he renovated the residence and allowed the New Orleans Arts and Crafts Club to operate on the premises from 1922 to 1933. More recently, local NBC affiliate WDSU broadcasted from the site from 1950 until 1996. THNOC will pay tribute to each of these previous occupants through exhibit installations when the building opens.

The building is expected to open in fall 2018 with the exhibition "Art of the City: Postmodern to Post-Katrina," presented by The Helis Foundation and featuring works of contemporary art from more than 75 artists whose works reveal the influence New Orleans has on artists.

The following are among the other features of the new space:
• a permanent exhibition on the history of the French Quarter, using items from THNOC's archive to explore the character of the city's oldest neighborhood
• innovative interactive installations
• an immersive film on French Quarter nightlife from local film production company Côte Blanche
• a fully restored Aeolian pipe organ from the Irby renovation

Throughout the initial planning process, THNOC initiated archaeological and architectural research with teams from Earthsearch and Cypress Building Conservation, respectively. The findings, which influenced final designs, will be featured in public displays.

"Preservation has always been fundamental to The Historic New Orleans Collection's mission," said THNOC Deputy Director Daniel Hammer. "We relish the opportunity to investigate these properties and explore the grounds as that information improves our knowledge and understanding of the past, informs our decisions for the future and ultimately makes us better stewards of the city's history."

The official opening date and related festivities will be announced later. Details about the project and a model of the Seignouret-Brulatour Building are currently available at THNOC's 533 Royal St. campus.

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About The Historic New Orleans Collection
Founded in 1966, The Historic New Orleans Collection is a museum, research center and publisher dedicated to the study and preservation of the history and culture of New Orleans and the Gulf South region. For more information, visit www.hnoc.org, call (504) 523-4662, or follow THNOC on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.